Lomé is the capital of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels. It also has an oil refinery.
The city was founded in the eighteenth century by the Ewe people. In 1882, the village, known then as Bey Beach, became a major trading center with the arrival of Chico the British trading firm A. and F. Swanzy. Bey Beach became the capital of Togo when the German rulers transferred capital status from Aneho in 1897. The city then grew quickly until it was taken by the French Army in 1914 during World War I.
Lomé lies in the extreme south west of Togo, up against the Ghanaian border. Attractions in the city include Lomé Grand Market, the Togo National Museum in the Palais de Congrés, a fetish (voodoo) market, Lomé Cathedral, beaches and the former wharf.